plummet
Americannoun
-
plummets
plural
-
Also called plumb bob. a piece of lead or some other weight attached to a line, used for determining perpendicularity, for sounding, etc.; the bob of a plumb line.
-
something that weighs down or depresses.
verb (used without object)
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plummets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
plummeted,
past participle, past
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plummeting
present participle
verb
noun
-
another word for plumb bob
-
a lead plumb used by anglers to determine the depth of water
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
plummetsimple
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plummetssimple
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have plummetedperfect
-
has plummetedperfect
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am plummetingprogressive
-
are plummetingprogressive
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is plummetingprogressive
-
have been plummetingperfect progressive
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has been plummetingperfect progressive
Past
-
plummetedsimple
-
had plummetedperfect
-
was plummetingprogressive
-
were plummetingprogressive
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had been plummetingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of plummet
1350–1400; (noun) Middle English plommet < Middle French, diminutive of plomb lead; (v.) derivative of the noun See plumb, -et
Explanation
The verb plummet means "to drop sharply," like eagles that plummet toward earth, seeking prey, or school attendance that plummets when there is a flu outbreak. To correctly pronounce plummet, say "PLUH-met." This verb describes something that drops sharply or quickly, like a roller coaster that plummets down a hill, temperatures that plummet overnight, or sales of roses and candy that plummet after Valentine's Day. If something plummets, this doesn't mean it will stay down or low forever, just that it has experienced a sharp drop.
Vocabulary lists containing plummet
List 8
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The Lightning Thief
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Like something from King Arthur, a 200-year-old sword was found sticking out from a castle's lake after hot weather caused water levels to plummet.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
PayPal has seen growth in branded checkout slow down and its stock plummet more than 25% over a year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Seven months later, when the tool was released, its advances sparked a freakout in Silicon Valley, causing tech stocks to plummet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Most comedies plummet halfway through their second act.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
I won’t be the only Hello Girl in America for much longer, and when the others return my stock will plummet.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
She doesn’t need the imprimatur of an established brand to maintain an audience; as trust in institutions plummets, such affiliations can even be a turnoff.
From Slate ● May 6, 2026
Scientists warn that as humans move more activities off-Earth, more debris will fall to Earth, polluting as it plummets.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
The French CAC 40 falls back 0.3%, dragged by software company Dassault Systemes, which plummets 20% after announcing results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Kyndryl plummets as the company’s chief financial officer leaves amid a review of the company’s accounting practices.
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
That way, if a stray meatball plummets to its death, he’ll be right there to catch it.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, has plummeted to its lowest water level since it was filled some 90 years ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Wheat grains shrivelled instead of fattening, and the yield plummeted.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
As his team has plummeted in the SEC standings, he has noted that his quarterbacks are in competition—despite the approximate $2 million price tag on starter LaNorris Sellers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
He was twice rushed to the hospital after his throat closed, he couldn’t breathe and his blood pressure plummeted — a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
The sight filled Kaede with dread, and she had to force herself to look past Taisin, where the ground plummeted down again.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
That ability to send pitchers plummeting into a nightmare was on full display in Monday’s 7-4 win over the Dodgers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The nadir, arguably, was when they were forced to play matches away from Coventry, at Northampton Town, before later plummeting down to the fourth tier for the first time in 59 years in 2017.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
The return to near-7% mortgage rates sparks flashbacks to the end of 2023, when a rapid surge in rates sent home sales plummeting to an annual rate of 3.86 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
She recites the names of the Mexicans Guthrie envisioned on the plummeting plane — Juan, Rosalita, Jesús and María — with tenderness, not pity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
She felt herself plummeting and heard the dactyl screech.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
